Time passes very fast. It was Lunar New Year. This year, the Feng family did not unt their wealth. But the district had spent a lot of money on fireworks. Feng Yu and Li Na had only met 2 times during this period. The both of them had purposely not met each other. The district was too small. Any small incident that happened will be known throughout the district within half a day, and it will be discussed among the residents for days.


    The Feng family was the district’s wealthiest family. News and information about the Feng family had been circting around the district. Li Na still does not want her family to know about her rtionship with Feng Yu.


    The instructions from Bing City had arrived at the district. It was about the leasing of farnds in Russia.


    Wen Deguang had known about this beforehand and had asked his men to spread the news. He wants to know how many farmers were willing to apply. He had wanted more people to go to Russia. The more people that went there, the lesser the farmers will be here in the district. This way, the district can let those remaining farmers farm more fields. They would be able to utilize farming machines and increase their efficiency.


    After the information was passed down to the District office, Wen Deguang asked the District’s evening news to air an hour-long segment about the conditions and advantages of going to Russia to farm.


    The next day, there was a constant stream of people that went to the District office to apply.


    They were to leave for Russia in April and May and stay there for about 6 months. They will be able to return in October. They could also return home during the 6 months periods. The money they would earn was even more. Furthermore, this was organized by the City, and they heard that the Provincial Government was also involved. The Government will even send people to talk to the Russian Government. All they have to do was to take care of their farms.


    This was an attractive offer for those poor families. The District had only assigned a small plot ofnd to them. There were no wastnds for them to cultivate and their family does not have tractors. They were the ones that were the most eager to farm in Russia. The higher-ups had said that the District will act as guarantors for they to take a bank loan. Even the tractors can be paid in installments. This was an opportunity for them to escape poverty.


    There were only about 10,000 people and about 3,000 families in the District. More than 1,000 people had applied, and some families had applied separately. For example, the father applied, the son applied, the husband applied, and the wife applied.


    There were also some people that came together to share the cost of purchasing a tractor and a harvester. They would share these machines, and they would save a lot. They would be able to lease 50 hectares to 100 hectares in Russia. At the district, each of them was only allowed to use 1 to 2 hectares ofnd.


    Even with 1 to 2 hectares ofnd in the district, these farmers were able to survive. With such a big plot ofnd, they would be able to make tens of thousand RMB in a year! In a few years’ time, they would be able to be wealthy. Just the interest from their money was more than enough to survive.


    During the news, the District Chief had said that the City will help the people from the districts first. Those that fulfilled the conditions can go to Russia to earn money! Next month, there will be a trip to Russia to look at the fields. Even if the farmers were not selected, they could also treat it as a holiday. They had lived most of their lives in Longjiang province and had never been overseas before. The was an opportunity for them.


    Many families were excited, but there were also families that had fought over this.


    “Dad, why are we not applying? Our family can lease at least 100 hectares. Even if we lease 200 hectares ofnd will also not be a problem. Think about how much we can earn in a year. Next year, we will have enough money for the youngest to get married.”


    “What do you know? The news mentioned that those that had cultivated wastnds must return thend to the Government before they can go to Russia. They called this the returning farnds to the wilderness policy.


    This wastnd was cultivated through the efforts of this father and his sons. Last year, there was flooding, and they had made losses. They knew that this year, there will be no more floods. This was the time for them to earn money. Why should they return theirnd to the government?


    “Dad, we had only cultivated dozens of wastnds. It was still wends. If it rains heavier, ournd will start ponding. Russia’snd is all goodnds. It will be safer for us to grow crops there. Didn’t the District Chief said that if we return those cultivatednd to the government, we will get somepensations?”


    “Whatpensations? Even if they give you 100 RMB, it is also consideredpensations. There was a floodst year, and this year there should not be flooding. If we are able to grow our crops well on our farm, we will also have enough money for the youngest’s wedding next year.”


    “Dad, then what about your grandson’s high school’s expenses? What about second brother’s daughter’s kindergarten expenses? The youngest will be getting married, and he also needs a house. His house will also need furniture and home appliances. Just look at Huan Zi. He is poor and had gotten married. Both his wife and him had been quarreling over money every day. His wife has been ming him for earning so little.”


    The youngest son said: “Dad, I want to follow elder brother and second brother to go and farm in Russia. Both you and mum have health issues. We should just return thend to the government and take thepensations. Your field in the District can be rented out to others. Just the rental alone will be sufficient for both you and mum. We will go to Russia and farm there. There is so muchnd, and with the eldest brother and second brother’s skills, we will not make losses. That ckie Lee is also applying. Do you think that we are worse off than him?”


    The father lowered his head and snubbed his cigarette. He lit another cigarette at looked at his two elder sons: “Does both your wives agree to let you farm there?”


    The both of them nodded. There were many people from the district applying to go over to Russia. They could take care of each other there. Furthermore, this was headed by the City Government. They would be protected. This was an excellent opportunity for them!


    “Then the 3 of them can go. But I will not return the cultivatednd and your fields. I will farm by myself!”


    Wen Deguang looked at the report in his hands. This report waspiled from all the viges. There were a total of 70 plus households with cultivatednd. The cultivatednd amounted to over 900 hectares. This was not a small figure.


    When Wen Deguang was still a vige head, he had also cultivated wastnds. He had no choice. He had bought a tractor, and he needs to earn more money. But when he was promoted to the deputy chief of the District office, he had given his cultivatednd to 2 poor families in his vige. Now, he needed to take back thosend. It was too difficult for him to do so.


    Luckily Feng Yu had given Wen Deguang some suggestions, and the higher-ups will also give somepensations for the farmers to return theirnds.


    “The few of you are from the 3rd vige, I also know what the few of you have inmon. The cultivatednd behind 3rd vige belongs to the few of you? Don’t panic. I am not giving you fines. Now the higher-ups had issued a regtion, stating that cultivating wastnds is against thew. The few of you should return thosend to the government. Stop panicking. Let me finish first. I saw that the few of you had applied to go to Russia. Let me tell you something, but keep it to yourselves. In Russia, you are allowed to cultivate wastnds too. The rental for those wastnds is half of those fields. You do not need to pay anything during the first year and 50% rental for the second year. If the few of you agrees to return yournd to the government, then the higher-ups will allow you all to cultivate wastnds in Russia. This will be more profitable than leasing those ready fields.”


    Many people tried to interrupt Wen Deguang when he was talking, but he stopped them. He needs to finish what he had to say in one go. If not, this discussion will go on forever.


    Huh? We can also cultivate wastnds in Russia, and it was permitted by the government? Although we still need to rent thosends, the rental was much cheaper. The rental saved every year was a considerable amount.


    “District Chief, if we return our cultivatednd here, how muchnd are we allowed to cultivate in Russia?” Someone asked.


    “Double!”


    Double? All of them were excited. If they were allowed to cultivate double the area of thend, then they would be able to earn much more. Especially if they signed 8 years lease. After the first 2 years, those cultivatednds will be the same as those ordinary fields, and they only need to pay half the rent. It was a good deal!


    “District Chief, we had discussed, and we agreed. But I had heard that there arepensations when we return thosend?” These people will not let go of any opportunity to get more money!


    “The government will bepensating all of you 10 RMB for every hectare. The City and District willpensate another 10 RMB. You think it is too low? If you think thepensation is too low, then you can carry on farming there. In Summer, when the new regtion takes effect, don’t me me for bringing people to confiscate thosends!” Wen Deguang had finished using the soft approach, and now, he was using the hard method. As for thepensation amount, he was the one who decided it.


    “District Chief, what are you talking about? We had not mentioned anything about not returning thosends. If the rest agreed, we would also agree!”


    “Remember what all of you said today. If you change your mindster, don’t me me for taking actions against all of you!”


    Wen Deguang looked at those people leaving his office, and he smiled. It was as what Feng Yu said. It was easy to get these people to return theirnds.